Yosemite

We only had two full days in Yosemite but we tried to make the most of it!  We started off Tuesday with some breakfast (oatmeal) and packing some pb&js for lunch.  We headed off and didn't get very far before we had to stop due to an accident on one of the roads.  Luckily we were stopped right where we had to turn so we were able to sneak by without having to wait.  In the morning we hiked up to Taft Point and Sentinel Dome.  They were good beginner type trails to get us going and we ate lunch at the top of Sentinel Dome.

After lunch, we headed back to the car and drove up to Glacier Point where there were a bunch of tourists gathered.  We looked around a little and took some pictures and then decided to do as much of the Panorama Trail as we could.  The whole trail goes on for like 8 miles but we heard it was good so we wanted to at least do some of it.  A lot of the advice for which trails we did came from somewhere online so we consulted that website printout a couple of times on our trip.  We headed out on the trail and the first half was almost all downhill.  That gave us some concern since obviously the second half would be all uphill so we tried to keep watch on the time.  At the bottom we got to our first waterfall area and had some more food.  The waterfall view we had wasn't the greatest so we tried to find some unmarked trails to get us closer.  We were somewhat successful, but at that point we were starting to get tired and headed back.

On the way back, it started to get darker and we could see the clouds rolling in.  Eventually we started to hear thunder and saw lightning in the distance.  So, we were somewhat concerned about whether we were walking lightning rods and that helped us to focus on finishing the hike back and not taking too many pictures like we did on the first half.  Towards the very end of the hike it actually started raining but we only had another 15 minutes or so before we got back so it wasn't too bad.  When we got back to Glacier Point pretty much everyone was gone (although there were still some devoted tourists with their cameras).  We drove back home and then cooked a delicious BBQ with steak, potatoes, and asparagus!

The second day we were considering trying Half Dome but felt that since we only had two hiking days that it would be better to see some of the other trails and sights instead.  It would have also been quite a challenge for us given how out of shape we were and the length of the trail itself (8 miles each way) would have meant we would have needed to get up quite early.  So, instead we headed over to the Yosemite Valley where a lot of the lodges and accommodations are and parked in one of the lots.  Then we hiked over to Vernal Fall which was another big tourist attraction and one of Yosemite's waterfall highlights.  The first part of the trail was surprisingly tough even though we had read it was supposed to be easy.  We got to a bridge and thought we had made it so we ate a snack.  Sadly, we were only at the bottom of the waterfall and still had a while to go.

Going up to the waterfall was quite an experience.  Since it was spring, the mountains were melting and the water was coming down in full force.  There were stairs going up as one got closer to the top of the waterfall but we still got soaked.  It was a great view though - much better than the falls from the Panorama Trail.  We got to the top and there was a great place to take pictures and dry up.  We chilled there for a little bit and then decided to keep going to another trail that would loop back to where we started.  On the way we had some lunch and also saw the trail for Half Dome, but we just kept on going.

The trail going back is what we (or I) called the "poo" trail.  Its real name is the John Muir Trail but since they allow horses on it for horseback rides up and down the trail there were a large number of droppings.  The trail itself also wasn't that interesting since it was just in a forest and didn't have good views of the valley or falls or mountains.  So, that continued to lend more credibility to the "poo" name.  We got back and the start of the trail was mobbed by tourists so we were glad we started early.  

After that we headed over to Mirror Lake since we saw some pictures and it looked pretty cool.  Sadly, it was more like "Mirror Marsh" since for a while the water levels dropped and grass/trees started to grow into the lake.  So, we were a little disappointed in that since the pictures we saw earlier were a little deceiving as to what we would actually see.  We also wanted to loop around the lake to get off of the poo trail but there had been a rock slide a month earlier and so the loop was closed down.  So, we had to backtrack on the poo trail back to the start of it.  On the way to the lake we saw a group on horses taking the trail.  We made every effort not to make little comments as they passed at how much we disliked the poo trail.

After we got back, we were pretty tired so we took the free shuttle around the valley for a little bit and stopped at Yosemite Falls.  There wasn't really a trail to get there, more like a paved sidewalk, but it was a pretty cool view of the waterfall.  After that we took our last trail at Yosemite from the falls to the Ahwahnee Hotel.  The Ahwahnee is the super expensive resort like hotel at Yosemite.  We had looked at trying to get reservations but they were all booked by the time we were looking into it.  The hotel itself was pretty nice, especially compared to the other places you could stay at Yosemite (including ours), and it was in a great location.  So we walked around there for a little bit and then took the shuttle back to our car and drove back home.  We cooked another great meal of spaghetti, meatballs, squash, and broccoli and then chilled and went to bed.

The next morning we packed everything and then stopped by the famous Tunnel View but by that point we had had enough pictures and only stayed for a little bit.  We made it out of the park and through the windy roads (and got some gas for the car!) and then headed over to Napa.

Rental Car Mania

Well right now we're in Napa but since we didn't have internet access in Yosemite, now's the time to write about it!  We had a lot of fun in Yosemite and hiked a fair amount of trails.  However, our adventure starts back in San Francisco....

Monday morning we packed our suitcases and then got our usual breakfast at the Ferry Marketplace.  From there we walked down Market St. for a while and then up O'Farrell St. to the Dollar Rental location.  Our pick-up time said 10 AM but we didn't get there until around 11:30 AM.  Luckily it was no later since on Memorial Day they apparently close at noon!  There was a huge line out the door and we weren't anywhere close to the front of the line when noon rolled around but luckily they didn't shut down right at noon and they let the people who were in the building stay to be served.  

Sadly, anyone who arrived after noon went through three steps - happiness at finding the Dollar rental location on a busy street, then confusion over why the door was locked and wouldn't open, then anger when they realized the place closed at noon and they would have to get their rental car elsewhere.  One guy started pounding on the windows at the manager which was a little scary and a little funny at the same time.  

Laura had actually went back to the hotel around 11:45 AM when it was obvious we weren't going to have a car by noon and we had to check-out by noon.  Luckily she was able to catch a bus back so she could make it back to the hotel in time and get our bags out of the room.  At that point she called my cell phone but my cell phone was in one of our bags and so I didn't check it until after I got the car, which wasn't until around 1 PM.  At that point, Laura thought something had happened to me and so she was stressed out and scared back at the hotel and I was just frustrated at having to wait for eons in the line to get our rental car.  Eventually, everything worked out and I got the car, went back and picked up Laura at the hotel with our bags, and then we were off to Yosemite.

Before we got to Yosemite we stopped at a town that was like an hour away but the only one with supermarkets closest to Yosemite.  So, we got a bunch of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to cover our Yosemite days.  We had also picked up some yummy bread and cheese before we left San Francisco to hold us over on the road trip over.  Also we picked up some fresh strawberries from a roadside stand, right next to where they actually pick the strawberries!  They were the cheapest, freshest strawberries we've ever had!  Many of the roads leading up to Yosemite were windy and we were "fortunate" enough to get a Grand Marquis for our car so it was an interesting drive.  

Once at Yosemite, we checked into our place which was a great location - right in the middle of a bunch of good places to go.  We stayed at the Yosemite West Four Seasons condos.  It came with its own bathroom and kitchen which were nice.  We did find a potato still in the oven which was kind of weird.   After we got settled in, we had some bread, cheese, and soup for dinner and then chilled a little bit and went to bed!

The Rock

Our last full day in San Francisco we went on our "Rock" tour - also known as Alcatraz. Before we went to the boat we picked up some breakfast at our usual Marketplace stop (this time a breakfast sandwich and some muffins) and then took the bus down to the pier. There were a lot of people at the pier even though we were only the second trip to go that day. Over a million people go see Alcatraz each year and about 300 people go over each time on the ship. We got to shore and listened to Ranger John for a while making some jokes and introducing us to the island.


We watched an orientation video and then stuck around for Ranger John's "Escapes" tour. It was pretty cool since we got to go places on the island that are usually restricted from the public. While Ranger John was somewhat annoying at times, he knew a lot of stuff and was also somewhat funny. So, it was a good way to learn about the prison and the kinds of things that people tried to get off the island. The one point that was brought up that was interesting was that since the island is only about a mile from the city, the prisoners could see (and sometimes hear/smell) what they were missing. So, that was one major reason why people tried to escape - they were reminded about what they could have if they did escape every day. A lot of the escapes themselves were pretty cool - I guess that's why movies have been made about them.


After the tour we went on the self guided tour with our little mp3 player. It was all very interesting although a little crowded at times. The outdoor parts were also cold and windy. It would have been nice to hear a little more about the military history and post-prison history of the island on the tour but I guess they went over a lot of that during the orientation video. Just like the other tours we have gone on in the last few days, we learned a lot from this one and we were glad we went.


After the tour was over we looked around in the bookstore a little bit and then headed back to the mainland. Once there, we got some lunch (chili bread bowl) and then worked it off by walking over to Lombard Street. We took some pictures and then hopped on the next cable car that came by. It was much more fun standing up on the outside of the car than sitting down on the inside like we were the first time we took the cable car. We hopped off and went to the cable car museum which was also very interesting. We wanted to pick up another cable car to go back but it was so crowded (Memorial Day weekend) that we had to walk back again. We rewarded ourselves with a trip to Ghirardelli Square and got a banana split! After that we took the (once again) crowded bus and got our free wine at the hotel. Laura took a quick nap and then we headed next door to a Japanese place called Ozumo.


Ozumo was "hip" and cool, although somewhat expensive. It was pretty big - they had a regular bar, a kitchen area, a dining area, and a sushi bar. We waited about 15 min for the sushi bar and then got seated. We decided to get some specialty sushi rolls and also a mushroom scallop entree. Both were delicious. I also tried some Sake for the first time. I got a sampler tray on recommendation from the server which was nice since I could try different kinds. However, I do not think I'll be trying Sake again - to me it just seemed like flavored shots. So, by the end of my third sampler I couldn't drink anymore. We went back to the hotel, got some delicious free lemon cookies in the lobby, and then I went back to the room and passed out. Luckily I had no hangover the next day which is good since we're driving about 4 hours to Yosemite!

Farmers Goods and Stolen Goods

Yesterday was mostly a day of relaxing towards the end but we were busy for the first half of the day.  We started off going over to the local farmer's market which was luckily right down the street from us.  They had all sorts of stuff - breads, cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, some of everything.  We got some bread and cheese for later and then got a delicious crab sandwich for breakfast.  Then we went inside the Ferry Marketplace and got some mini-donuts and a crab breakfast burrito.  We wandered around the marketplace some more and then headed over to Chinatown for our tour.

For our Chinatown tour, the owner of the tour company actually went out with some of the group (I guess she doesn't usually go out anymore) - she also has written a book which makes her somewhat well known I guess.  Anyways, instead of going with her our half of the group went with Herman, a guy who grew up in Chinatown but since has retired and seemingly become more Americanized.  It was a very good tour though since Herman obviously cared about what he was talking about.  We went in a lot of shops - shops for food, for tea, for art, for fortune cookies (the same one as the day before!), a buddhist temple, and many others.  The tea shop was interesting since the owners were somewhat young and were running the family business and the guy had just come back from China 3 AM earlier that day.  We concluded the tour having some dim sum at a restaurant with the whole group which was cool as well.

After the tour we felt pretty tired/jetlagged and so headed back to the hotel for a nap.  On the way, we were stopped at a corner waiting for the light and suddenly heard a piercing scream.  At first it sounded like something was wrong but then when nothing happened we figured someone just got surprised.  Soon after that though a guy came bolting out of a Taco Bell with a wad of cash and sprinted across the road and disappeared into the other side.  Most of us were just frozen throughout the whole thing and didn't really know what to do.  A woman came out of the Taco Bell and we pointed to where the guy had run off to and so she went in to call 911.  We came on going back to the hotel but it definitely gave us something to think about - making sure we were thankful we were safe and that nobody else got hurt (except for Taco Bell's profits).  It was very surprising that the robbery happened in plain daylight and only a couple of blocks from where we were staying so it made us a little uneasy.  We also overhead someone saying that they thought a robbery like that just took place a few days/weeks ago.  So, very interesting being witness to our first robbery but not something that we want to go through again.

After we came back to the hotel we slept for a while and then went out to the Ferry Marketplace to pick up some food.  We got some fish tacos, garlic fries, and a "Mr. Kentucky" (split hot dog with a bunch of stuff on it) which were tasty.  Then we came back to the hotel for some free wine and then chilled in our room for the rest of the night.  We finally watched the season finale of Lost and caught up on some Office episodes.  Overall, not too busy but still had an interesting tour, good food, and lots of relaxing!

Sourdough Bread and Toads!

Well we've gotten through day one of our California vacation.  It was quite a long day but we made good use of it to do a lot of different things.  The morning was spent sleeping in a little and trying to decide what to do with the day.  Luckily we had some extra time to do this since we slept on the plane a few hours before and we had the time difference on our side.  The first thing we did was walk down to the Ferry Marketplace.  It's cool that this place is so close since it seems like a great place to go for breakfast or a quick bite.  Some of the shops were just opening so we looked around a little and then had some breakfast - a good place called Lulu's where we got some spinach quiche and croissant.

Then we walked down Market street to the nearby Bart/Muni (train/metro) station to purchase a 3-day pass for all of the cable cars, Muni trains, and buses.  Although it was $18, the cable cars we were planning on riding on were $5 a ride and everything else was $1.50 so we figured it was worth it for 3 days.  Their three day pass is kind of funny - it looks like a lottery ticket.  We took the bus to Pier 39 and walked around there for a while - they had some pretty cool shops and places for food.  We also saw some sea lions that were laying out on one of the docks as a kind of rest-stop.  Then we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and had some delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Boudin's.  I also called my grandfather to wish him happy birthday since it is his 80th birthday!  After Boudin's we went to this place called Musee Mecanique which had a bunch of antique-type arcade/video/mechanical type game machines that you could pay a quarter to play so that was cool as well.

After Mecanique we walked around some more at the Wharf and then went to the cable car turnaround.  For some reason I thought the cable cars were in the air like ski lifts but I guess not!  It kind of took a while to get on since there seemed to be some kind of slowdown but eventually we got on.  It was pretty cool how it stopped in the middle of intersections for people to get on/off and how the conductor was playing little tunes with the bell.  It was kind of windy though but luckily we had brought some hat and gloves so those helped.  At the next turnaround we were planning on getting back on but the line was so long and seemed to be moving so slowly so we just took the Muni metro and then the F bus again back to where we were.  Then we got a quick ice cream shake at Ghiradelli (delicious!) and then booked it back for our Toad's tour.

Our Mr. Toad's tour around in vintage American cars for three hours was a very enjoyable ride, albeit very cold and windy at times.  We were the last ones on the tour to arrive so we had to split up but I was able to get shotgun which was kind of nice since it had the windshield for protection.  We saw the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Pacific Heights with all of the Victorian mansions, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown (and saw fortune cookies being made!), and all of the places we went to earlier in the day.  Our tour guide, Kathy, was very interesting and had been in SF for about 30 years (and she says she's only 29!).  Laura commented that the tour was more about Kathy's opinions and personal experiences than it was about actual tour guide material but I think it helped keep the tour interesting and made the history seem more real.  So, it was a trip well worth it but afterwards we had to go buy Laura a fleece (since she forgot hers at home!).  

We concluded the night by going to an Italian restaurant called Albona.  It was delicious food - especially since it was warm!  We were stuffed by the end and were also kind of tired/jet-lagged.  We did manage to walk all the way home though to work off some of the food.  After we got back to the hotel, we pretty much just collapsed into bed.  This morning we are once again blogging, looking at pictures, and figuring out what to do!  Today will probably be back to the farmer's market, a Chinatown tour, and a picnic in Golden Gate Park!

California!

Well we made it to San Francisco! The trip took about 6 hours since our plane was delayed but it wasn't too bad. We flew Virgin Atlantic for the first time and it was a very nice experience! We bought our plane tickets a few months ago and it was good we did since a couple of weeks later they started charging for baggage (no first items free).

VA seemed to have a sense of humor - their instructional video on airport safety was pretty funny. The plane itself was cool. The lights were a hot neon purple that kind of gave the plane a "club" feel. Water and soda was free, which seems rare nowadays. All of the staff was friendly. Each person had a nice entertainment center to themselves - you could watch movies (at a charge), tv, play games, and even message with other people in the plane. They also had a power outlet so you could use your laptop without having a dead battery midway through.

I spent most of the time on my laptop doing some Oracle 11g database training using some self study CDs I got a few months ago. Laura spent a good amount of the trip sleeping and I joined her towards the end. Luckily we had the foresight to pack lots of snacks so we weren't hungry along the way and we didn't have to pay for anything. The only downsides of the trip was that the plane was a little delayed, the entertainment system went out for about 20 minutes during the flight, and there were some loud kids in front of us and behind us. But we would still fly VA again!

When we got to the airport, we picked up our baggage without any issues but then we had to find a way to the hotel. Sadly it was about midnight at this point and the Bart that we were planning on taking had already left. So, we wandered about for a little bit trying to figure out what our options were. We eventually settled on a taxi since we were tired and just wanted to get to the hotel. The first taxi person we met was actually an illegal limo service so we passed on them since they seemed a little expensive. After that we got in a taxi but realized that we didn't have enough cash and it didn't take credit card. After that an airport guy helped us find a taxi that took credit cards so we took that one. The taxi driver was really fast so we gave him a good tip!

We got to our hotel in the Financial District - the Harbor Court Hotel. It is a nice little hotel wedged in between a couple of other buildings and we like our room, although not too fancy or large. We had a good 5 hour sleep and now we're surfing the free internet to figure out what we're going to do today! We're thinking of starting of at the Ferry Building/Marketplace so stay tuned!

Married life

Well it's officially day 2 of Laura being gone on her Outward Bound trip.  I'm sure we'll hear a lot about it when she returns.  Although it' s 5 AM and I have work in a few hours, I figured I would write something since it's been almost 6 months since I've done so.  I should be working on my term paper (heh, heh), but I figure this should only take a few minutes =-).

As Laura said in her previous post, it is nice to be married.  A lot of people ask what it's like and I always respond that it's the same as when we were dating.  That may not be the same for everyone but it is at least the same for us.  We probably spend more time with each other than most couples though.  While we were dating and for a few months after we were married we were at work together an office away and we would spend most of our time after work with each other as well.  After Laura switched projects, we're still in the same building so we can carpool and see each other for lunch but it's less than what it was before.  Outside of work we're usually together though - either at school or at home.  

I also tell people I think the big changes come when you have kids - seems like that will be a big change for us too since there's more of a chance we'll be in different places since we probably won't both be working full time or at school and we'll also have to focus our attention on our kids which will leave a little less attention for each other.  But it's still exciting - I think we're off to a great start =-)!

Six months in!

So we've been married for almost six months now! Woohoo... we made it! Just a lifetime to go! I know it's going to sound sappy, but I LOVE being married to Joe. What an amazing man... every day I think how lucky I am that God brought us together. It's the little things that always bring a smile to my face... his dancing in the car, his "beep, beep, beep!" messages, his cute big-eyed smiles, the way he always puts his fingers into my fists, and how he manages to grab me and cuddle me even when he's asleep.

We've been very busy the last several months with school. We decided to take two classes this semester. This has kept us very busy, but we are looking forward to finishing up soon! We're halfway done, but luckily after this semester, we'll have finished up all of our foundation classes and can hopefully just take programming classes from here on out. We actually really enjoy the programming classes but since these aren't all offered on-site it could mean a potential trek up to Laurel, MD in rush hour traffic. Eeewww... I know!

We have also spent a lot of time fixing up the house. We finished installing laminate flooring in the basement this past December and added a lot of storage in the attic in January. We hope to redo the kitchen sometime this year or next. We (and when I say we, I mean Joe) have been spending a lot of time fixing up the condo as well. And we just heard today that we may have a potential renter! So that will be a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. Thank goodness!

We're currently planning our next vacation for California! We are feeling the crunch of the recession though and are trying to do it economically. Fortunately, flights are pretty nice and cheap to go across country. I would say now is the best time to travel ever! Ha... I feel like that girl in Confessions of a Shopaholic that keeps saying she saved money by buying something on sale.